Early Morning

Wow, a post before 6am...

Yesterday we received a phone call that a cousin-in-law's sister passed away. Robin's sister was in her early 30's and had a little girl who had just turned 1. I immediately thought of Caroline and myself. That could be us... I can't imagine what Robin and her family must be experiencing. It was a reminder that we are not promised tomorrow. We have to make the most of every day, every situation.

So this morning, when my sweet little angel woke up screaming, not interested in putting herself back to sleep like normal, Mommy picked her up. We laid in the bed, snuggled and giggled. It's amazing how different it feels now verses when she was a few months old. Now she takes up my entire chest! I loved the feel of her soft skin on my cheek. I loved her wiggy hair tickling my face. I loved the sound of her sucking the life out of her poor paci.

Caroline's in her crib asleep now and Mommy is WIDE awake but I am thankful for the morning snuggles with my sweetie. (They don't happen too often now that she's mobile!)

Ethan Jay's Birthday and a VERY special Christmas gift

Today we got to celebrate Ethan Jay's 1st birthday. It was a lot of fun visiting with our friends and seeing how big Ethan Jay has gotten. Caroline enjoyed the party and enjoyed the cupcakes most of all! :0) We can't wait until Ethan Jay and his mommy and daddy are closer! We miss them so much!

Trying to get a little rest... this week has been so much fun!

A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT! Last Thanksgiving Heather's Dad was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. Mom and I attended the funeral while Andy stayed at home with a 2 month old Caroline. Heather shed many tears that day and I realized that she didn't have anything to wipe away her tears. So I gave her my handkerchief. (My Daddy always carried them with him, every single day. He put it in his back pocket as he got dressed each morning.) I told her to keep it and think of our sweet fathers who had now passed on... Well today as we were exchanging gifts, she gave Caroline a very special church doll... it was made out of Daddy's handkerchief! I couldn't stop the tears. I was so touched by the special gift! Definitely one of the most sentimental gifts this year!

A Very Merry Christmas!! :0)

Christmas Day was pretty lazy and relaxing around our house. We stayed in our pj's until the afternoon. The first gift of Christmas was that Caroline slept until 7:15. We got her up and brought her in the den to see what Santa brought. She wasn't too excited and went straight to the toys she got on Christmas Eve! She loves her school bus from Pop and Peep and her Cozy Coupe from Granny. Andy and I want Christmas to be a BIG deal around our house but we want it to be big for the right reasons. We want Caroline to enjoy gifts from Santa but we also want her to remember why we celebrate Christmas and it's not just Santa. So we decided that we would give three gifts just like Baby Jesus received 3 gifts when He was born. Therefore all our gifts come in 3's-3 from Santa, 3 from Mommy and Daddy, Andy gets three and I got 3.

From Santa (pink chair, growth chart and "If you take a Mouse to the Movie"

From Mommy and Daddy (a pair of Keds, musical instruments and a hat and mittens set)

Andy and I opened our gifts and our stockings. A few years ago our friends Wes and Sage gave us an idea about a Christmas tradition that they share. Each year they write a letter to their spouse. They seal it up and open it on Christmas morning the following year. WE loved the idea. We started in 2007, our last Christmas without Caroline. In our letters to each other we both wrote that we hoped more than anything else that next year (2008) we would be spending Christmas with our new baby. Guess what-WE DID! It's been neat to read over our prayers and desires from one year and see how God met them through the year. Every Christmas morning after we open our gifts and the items in our stockings, we read our letters and write new ones for the next year. I love it! I think this year we will start writing a letter to Caroline and watch as the years go by and how they change...

Then we enjoyed a yummy breakfast-breakfast pie and ambrosia. As a little girl, I remember my grandmother Grant making ambrosia for us to enjoy during the holidays. It was raining ALL day here so we stayed inside. Caroline took a long morning nap and that gave us some time to get everything put away and straightened. Pop and Peep stopped by to see the Princess Christmas morning. She was very excited to see them. Not too long after Pop and Peep left, Granny came. We bummed around and had Christmas Eve left overs for lunch.

This year I decided that it was time for us to start making traditions for our little family. I remember as a little girl there were certain things that we did EVERY year. (like the ambrosia mentioned earlier...) We like to stay home on Christmas and enjoy the day. However, in the years past, it's almost been like a HUGE letdown. We sit around, nothing to do, nothing to eat, etc. We thought long and hard about what we should do... We decided to have the 1st annual Christmas Day Low Country Boil-sausage, shrimp, potatoes and corn. We invited our family and friends-anyone who didn't have plans and wanted to enjoy a YUMMY meal! :0) It was perfect! We loved having everyone at our house. It was nice because there weren't presents involved just LOVE for one another!

Another tradition we started was a birthday cake for Baby Jesus. Caroline got a "Little People Nativity." We used the items from that to "act" out the story. Grace read "The Story of Christmas" and Jack placed the items on the cake. Once Grace finished the story, we all sang Happy Birthday to baby Jesus. I loved it! I can't wait until Caroline and her cousins are old enough to participate.

I am excited about the traditions that we have started for our family. However, I will never forget the traditions that are no longer the same without my Daddy... but as old George would say "You can sit around and feel sorry for yourself or get up and make a CHANGE!" So by George, we are making a change!! :0) (we will never lose the memories of Christmas' past...) The Lord blessed us with a wonderful Christmas this year. I truly enjoyed celebrating the TRUE meaning of Christmas. I can honestly say that I enjoyed this Christmas-the gifts, the fellowship and the love of our Lord and Savior!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The Eve before and Christmas Eve

We had an amazing Christmas! On the Eve of Christmas Eve, we enjoyed a fun evening with the Marchette's around their warm bonfire! Papa Jack's bonfire's are the best!! It was a little too late for Caroline so unfortunately we didn't get to stay too long...

Christmas Eve we woke up and immediately started working on sorting presents. Christmas Eve is our busiest day of the Christmas holiday. We headed to my mom's for lunch/snacks. Caroline enjoyed her time with her cousins, she thought she was just as big as they were. Caroline loved Granny's dog Bear. She fed him crackers and chips all afternoon.

We headed home early that afternoon to change clothes and get ready for our Christmas Eve service at Church. This was the first year we were able to make it. It was beautiful! Andy was serving as a Deacon and therefore wasn't able to sit with me. However, I was blessed to sit between Jack and Grace. The singing was beautiful! The message was on "Fear Not" just as the Angle told Mary to "Fear Not." As we enter in the new year, don't fear the things that are to come. We were served communion. After communion, they dimmed the lights and we lit individual candles. Once the candles were lit last we sang "Silent Night" and left the service. We were on the last row and therefore, we were the to leave the sanctuary. As I looked at the front of the Sanctuary, it was breathtaking! There was the communion table in the center and on each side was the Christmon trees. They were beautiful!

After we left the service, we went to celebrate with Andy's family. We started at Tomi Jean and Greg's and opened gifts with the aunts, uncles and Mema. Jack entertained us with a light show outside and Caroline and Grace played the piano. (It was short lived because Caroline banged more than she played...) After that, we headed home to change into our pj's and head to Pop and Peeps for Christmas with them, Aunt Katy, Uncle Jeremiah, Jay and Ansley Kate. It was almost 8 when we got there and Caroline was beyond tired. She was so tired, she was goofy, silly! She loved her school bus and shapes tea pot. The kids enjoyed playing with each others toys!

We got Caroline home and she went straight to bed. Mommy and Daddy had a lot to get together before Christmas Day!

Thankful

So I have a LONG list of things to DO this morning. However, I started reading blogs and one blog lead to another and so on. However, I know that I am right where I need to be. I came across the blog of a young woman who is raising two kids 2 1/2 and younger all on her own. One Monday morning her husband kissed her goodbye as he was walking out the door for work and a few minutes later he was involved in a terrible car accident. She wrote about their last night together, the simple evening at home with their daughter, tv and ice cream.

As I read about this young woman, I couldn't help the tears... She and her husband were married a year after Andy and I. This could be me. She is my age. I have a small child. All these thoughts started running through my head. It also made me think about our life. Do I truly treat each day as a gift? What happens if my tomorrow is changed, will I be ok with it? Will I be grateful for the way I spent the day before?

Tough questions... I don't know this individual personally but I know that I think she is one amazing person. In almost all of her post, she talks about the comfort of the big man upstairs! Praise the Lord that she continues to love and serve during these difficult times! What an inspiration she is to others!

Thank you Lord for the peace that only comes from you!

Day 3 of vacation... visit from B

Today was a very special day for Caroline. Today Caroline's birth mother came to visit. This was the first time that B had seen us since we left the hospital a little over 15 months ago. I must admit I wasn't sure how things would go. I had a lot of emotions attached to this event. B is a very special person! She gave us the MOST amazing gift ever, our precious little girl! We plan to be completely honest with Caroline about her adoption. We want Caroline to always know how much B loved her and cared for her. We have an open adoption and therefore knew the day would come when we met again.

Last week after receiving our Christmas Card, B called and asked if she could come bring Caroline her Christmas gifts. We decided to meet at a kid friendly restaurant so that Caroline could play while we ate. All was well and ready... my amazing family and friends were praying for our time together with B. Caroline started running a fever last night. This morning while she was in the bath tub, she threw up. On the way to lunch, she fell asleep in the car...I thought, "oh Lord, we're in for a day aren't we..." Then the Lord reminded me "He is before all things and in HIM all things hold together" Col. 1:17. I gave HIM this day and this time with B and we would get whatever He had planned.

We all arrived about the same time. As I watched B walk across the parking lot, it reminded me of the first time we saw her. She was walking across the parking lot at TGIFriday's. I will never forget that feeling of the unknown. What would she be like? Would she have her doubts about us? Would she change her mind about us? However, today as I watched her walk, I saw an amazingly strong woman who sacrificed so much because of the love she had for the precious child she carried for 9 months. I must admit it was a little awkward at first. Here I was caring for my baby girl while the person who gave birth to her was watching... However, we soon got things going and all was well. We talked like we had known each other for years. Caroline was a little more calm than usual because she didn't feel well. Overall she did fine. I just had to remind myself of Col. 1:17, He knew the plan for the day. We enjoyed a yummy meal and a great conversation, catching up on what B's been up to. We even got to meet her boyfriend which was really nice. He enjoyed playing with Caroline and making faces and she thought he was pretty funny.

We ended our time together with a few pictures outside with B and Caroline. B also brought Caroline some really neat gifts-a giraffe rocky horse, a step stool with her name on it and a care package of other items. B gave Caroline lots of kisses before we left. It was such a sweet time for our family! (Caroline was asleep within 5 minutes of being strapped in the car!)

Reflecting on the day, I am so thankful for this time. It was neat seeing our roles and how they have changed. It was great to see B and to know she has moved on and is happy and doing well! We will always be thankful for B and her choice to trust us with her angel. This Christmas more so than last (I think I was still sleep deprived) I am thankful for my family. Someone asked me earlier in the week what I wanted Santa Clause to bring. (Before I tell you, I must say that I surprised myself with my answer... reminded me of my Dad and Mom!) All I want is my family, safe and healthy! I pray that the Lord will bless me with another wonderful year as a mother and wife, and that this time next year I will be here with my family by my side!

God is good!

Day 2 of Christmas Vacation

I am LOVING being at home with my sweetie! We had fun morning at home before heading out to play with our friends. We started at Mrs. Deann's with a yummy brunch with our friends. I enjoyed the adult conversation and Caroline enjoyed playing with the "big" kids. We left there and went to play with our friends Abby and Josie. The girls were so sweet and so patient with Caroline. We also enjoyed a yummy lasagna lunch.

I loved watching Caroline interact with all her friends. I LOVED the adult time with my friends. It's great that Caroline is at an age where she can play without me and I can enjoy adult time as well. Caroline is down for her afternoon nap which I hope will be a good one. (Mommy needs a nap as well...) We have a fun evening planned with our friends Rhett, Farrah and Rylie at their Christmas drop in.

Day 1 of Christmas Vacation!

We have officially started our Christmas Vacation! YEAH! So far we are off to a good start! Caroline and I have had a great morning-playing, cleaning, playing, cleaning some more, etc. She's been a doll! We've laughed a lot and mommy has gotten lots of wet kisses...

I am very thankful for this time with my sweet baby girl. I have a lot that hast o be accomplished today but I am excited that we are both still in our jammies and having fun.

Here's a little look at what we've done today.

Enjoyed some goldfish

Please mommy... let me take the picture!

Blowing kisses...


Merry Christmas!

Christmas Caroling

A couple of years ago, Andy and I decided to go Christmas Caroling with our church. We weren't really sure what to expect but we thought it would be fun. It didn't take many stops to make us realize what a sweet experience this was. We have watched as members of our congregation face light up with joy, we have seen many people shed tears, and other ask for at least one more song... I LOVE it!

Last night we were able to share this experience with Caroline. She did really well. We met at Church for a bowl of homemade vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Then most of the group loaded the bus. (We had to drive since we didn't know how long Caroline would last nor did the bus have a place for a car seat... She enjoyed the lights and sang a couple of songs herself, if you know what I mean. It's hard for me to put into words the feeling that I got as I looked at my sweet family bundled up, singing TRUE Christmas Carols, songs about our sweet baby Jesus. One sweet lady stood on her porch and asked for to sing specific songs and as we were leaving she told us that we made her Christmas. She was so happy, so content. I told Andy that I wish we could live in our little caroling bubble throughout the entire Christmas holiday. These individuals were happy with where they were and were so appreciative of our singing. They weren't caught up in the "stuff" of Christmas...

I am already excited about next year, can't wait!

PS-Remember the post on expectations... I asked the Lord to let us at least make one house for caroling since it was during Caroline's bedtime. Doodle bug hung in there for 3 stops. WOW, talk about the Lord abundantly giving way more that we asked for!

Speed bumps

You ever have times where you feel like you hit one speed bump after another? We seem to be in a speed bump "zone" these days... I thought about keeping a log of all the things that we have broken in a week to see if we can set a record... Last Thursday, Caroline broke her first ornament. Then Saturday while packing the car for our mini vacation, I placed a wooden drying rack in the door frame of the garage. I forgot about it until I put the door down. I heard some not so good noises. Went in the garage to realize the door was no longer attached to the guide and was crinkled in the middle. Yesterday I went over to Pop and Peeps to take Christmas pictures of the kids only to realize my camera is not working properly... (My BRAND NEW ONE!) Then this afternoon, Caroline pulled baby jail over to the end table and cracked a frame.

It's so easy to become frustrated by these little speed bumps. It's such a pleasure when things just fall into place. However, I know that I am not growing as a Christian if there aren't any bumps. I keep telling myself that if I didn't have all the wonderful blessings from the Lord, these things wouldn't be a problem... because I wouldn't have them to get broken in first place. Most of the above items have been addressed and taken care of. However, I haven't had a chance to take my camera in yet, maybe I'm a little scared of the outcome... BUT I have to remind myself that this too shall pass!

Caroline's first Christmas gift in 2009

Caroline received her first Christmas gift for this season yesterday. Uncle Dan sent her a cute little lamb (like lovey but bigger) and a gift card to Babies R Us. We can't wait to go to Babies R Us and see what they have that's new! Thanks Uncle Dan

A much needed night away!!!!

Yesterday we headed out of town for a fun night with friends and co-workers. Of course it was an adults only event so Caroline stayed with Aunt Tomi Jean and Uncle Greg. (Aunt Doe came over to help also!!) We didn't worry one little bit, we knew Caroline was well taken care of. More than likely she was having a lot more fun with Grace that she normally does at home with us!!

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We didn't have to worry about a babysitter or schedules! We were free for the evening. We started out with some Christmas shopping. Then we went back to the hotel, got checked in and changed, and headed out to dinner. The restaurant was on the water and overlooked the marina. It was so pretty at night! :0) Dinner was awesome! We did a White Elephant Christmas exchange and brought home a really nice digital photo frame. After dinner we went downtime for a ghost tour. However, our tour guide was late and therefore we had 45 minutes to waste. Lucky for us, there was an amazing bakery a few doors down. We enjoyed a yummy pineapple, banana spice cake and some hot chocolate. The ghost tour was cold but a lot of fun. After the tour, we headed to Wild Wings for a few hours. We hung around and chatted for a few hours before heading back to the hotel.

Needless to say, when we got back, I was exhausted! I didn't have any trouble falling asleep! We slept until 8 which was really NICE! (Although Caroline slept until 7:45 this morning...) We found a Panera Bread last night by accident but were glad we did because that was breakfast this morning before getting on the road to head home.

I enjoyed having some "us" time with my hubby this weekend! It was a good night and MUCH needed getaway!

Called on it once again

So last Wednesday night I was SO upset that our picture session was ruined thanks to little miss not cooperating. Well guess what, Erin is more amazing than I thought! We got the pictures back tonight and they are awesome! Even when Caroline was upset and had a wrinkled nose, she was still precious. Erin captured the moment perfectly!

I love that the Lord was working on my heart! He brought me to a place where I was broken, my sinful nature was revealed and still HE worked it all out. I can't wait to share the pictures with you soon!

Thanksgiving weekend

We enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving Holiday with our family! We discovered that Caroline had an ear infection on Friday which made the holiday weekend rather interesting... However thanks to some ear drops and anitbotics, little miss is feeling much better (an is happier!!!)


We had a house full of family and enjoyed every minute of it. Aunt Lill and Uncle Ed came in Wednesday night and my mom came in on Thursday morning. We enjoyed lots of laughs throughout the weekend. You never know what's going to happen when we all get together. Thanksgiving day was pretty quiet. My mom and I worked on laundry and catching up on household "stuff." Somehow I managed to miss the Macy's Day parade. I remember as as kid, I lived for the parade, it was a HUGE deal! I would watch the parade while my parents where busy cooking in the kitchen. Then once I was old enough, I started helping and would watch the parade while cooking too. It was such a sweet time for us as a family.

Thursday evening we headed over to Andy's aunt's house for dinner. We had enough food to feed a family of 30, too bad there was only 12 of us! LEFT OVERS!!!! It was YUMMY, we ate too much came home and complained about how full we were.

No Black Friday shopping for us, we headed to Dr. E's office. After about 2 hours of waiting, we discovered that Caroline had an ear infection. That helped explain why she wasn't herself the past week or during pictures... Once again the Lord showed me the error of my ways! We did however go out for a quick bargin, one stop, found exactly what we wanted-no lines, no fighting! Friday night we went to an "adult only" dinner with my cousin Richard and his wife Sharon, Aunt Lill and Uncle Ed and my mom. It was wonderful. After dinner, we enjoyed a short tour of Christmas lights, my favorite!

Saturday we were up before daylight getting ready for the BIG GAME-USC vs. Clemson. My wonderful mom offered to keep Caroline for us! (LOVE HER!) Our trip to Columbia was amazing! We had a great conversation about the direction of our life, as a family, and really just had some time for US. It was perfect. I soaked up every minute with my sweet hubby. We enjoyed tailgating and the game! It started out ugly but turned out just right 34-17 win over Clemson. It doesn't happen often so it sure was nice! Especially since we had to spend the next day with my Clemson family!!!!!

Sunday was spent with my family at my mom's. We enjoyed a yummy fried turkey and all the trimmings. You know it's the little things in life that mean so much. My mom and dad use to make the BEST dressing (some call it stuffing) and gravy. It's pretty complicated but it is wonderful! Every since my daddy passed away, we've been missing the dressing at Thanksgiving. This year my mom agreed to make it! It was just as good as ever. Guess who brought the left overs home-ME! I know it sounds really small but it was HUGE. It made me feel like the old days... We put mom's tree up and also put the wreaths up at the cemetary before heading home.

God has blessed us with so much-a wonderful family, a beautiful daughter, shelter, clothes, transportation, etc. It's easy however to become caught up in the little things of life that can bring us down. I really struggled this Thanksgiving. Ever since my dad passed away, I feel like the holidays just aren't the same. We didn't have huge Christmas' but we made memories. We enjoyed the true holiday-not that I always liked it, but my parents keep the true meaning. I think about the traditions that I had as a kid that are no longer the same... However, I have to remember that I am starting traditions for my family now. I can begin things with Caroline that she will look forward to every year... So here's to another year and thankful for what God has given us this YEAR!! :0)

Are you talking to me?

I know I'm cute! :0)

I can get out of this, just watch me! It's really not that hard when you give me things like my leap frog table...

The wreaths at the cemetary

The big kids enjoyed baby jail more than Caroline did.

Caroline found an extra paci in daddy's car.

Caroline enjoyed the sleigh ride... Daddy was tired.

Us before the big game-GO Gamecocks!!!!!

Expectations...

So for the last few months I have been really excited about taking a family picture. We haven't had Caroline's pictures taken professionally since she was a newborn. A friend from college is an amazing photographer and was planning to be in town for the holidays. I asked if she would be willing to take a few shots of our family. I was so excited, so happy to have a picture with all of us in it. I found Caroline the perfect outfit on our girls trip and everything was set.

Well Caroline had other plans. She totally had no interest in taking pictures. She cried almost the entire time. She arched her back, fell on the ground, etc. All the while, my friend Erin was working so hard and was so sweet and compassionate. After about an hour, we called it quits. Caroline wasn't cooperating and that was that.

I went into today praying that I wouldn't be disappointed if things didn't work out. I have learned that our reaction to things in life are all about our expectations. If I didn't have high expectations, then whatever we got would be a plus. However, I was totally called on it. I got very upset when things didn't go my way. I got very upset with Caroline because she would not cooperate. However, as I sat at home alone, I realized that I truly should be thankful for my daughters health. I should be thankful for strong lungs that allowed her to scream her head off. Healthy legs that allowed her to climb down off the couch. Perfect little fingers that allowed her to pick up the acorns and dig in the dirt.

You see, pictures are just "stuff." There will always be another chance, another day, another appointment. I just need to be thankful for the stage she's in and grateful that God blessed us with a beautiful healthy baby girl...

November fun

Our little stinker's personality is truly shinning through these days. She's blowing kisses, clapping when she's excited, saying bye bye, etc. I went away for a girls weekend and came home to find a new tooth. I still think of her as being a tiny baby but am continued to be amazed at what she can do. Here are some fun pictures from the last few weeks. (My New Years goal this year is to get back on track with updating weekly... hold me to it!)

Peep and Caroline sharing a drink. Notice Caroline's beautiful outfit. We were trying on shoes and she decided she needed one of each shoe and her rain hat.

Rocking in Daddy's rocking chair-it was his grandfather's chair. Caroline is one of the few children who get to rock in it!! :0) She loves to get in and rock.
Caroline's birthday present from her Chick-fil-A friends-The Drummond's

A few Saturday's ago, Caroline decided she wasn't ready for her nap. Therefore she tried to play with any and everything she could get her hands on. Mommy put the extra diapers in her grocery buggy, which was really close to her crib. Caroline put every single diaper in her crib. Then she started pushing her buggy... all through the bars of her crib!

Enjoying her spaghetti till the last drop! Look at that face-looks a little mischievous if you ask me!

My sweetie playing in baby jail while I pack the car for work and Mrs. Jerri's.

Every time I look at this sweet face, I am reminded of God's blessings in my life!

Girls Trip 2009

As always, our girls trip was perfect! There were 12 of us this year and we had a great time! We ate really well... ok maybe too well! Angie got us a great hotel, great location, great price. We enjoyed lots of shopping, hanging out, pj parties and just being bums. I enjoyed catching up with everyone, what they've been up to, how their kids are, etc. I have some great girlfriends and I am very thankful for them!



It was so nice to get away and not have to worry about one thing except what I wanted to do next. I didn't have to worry about nap times, feedings, washing dishes, making beds, packing lunches, etc. It was great. However, I must admit by Saturday night, I was ready to see my family.


Here are some pictures from our fun weekend!

We ate family style at an Italian restaurant. It was so good and SO much food. I know we were being sinful as we indulged...

fried mozzarella

stuffed mushrooms

Cesar salad, forgot to take one of the chopped salad

chicken parm

manticotti (sp) and spaghetti with meatballs

chicken Marsala

my FAVORITE!! toasted pound bake

teramousi (sp)

Saturday I was able to meet up with Sage for breakfast at Panera Bread...YUM! Enjoyed catching up with my dear friend who always shows the love of Jesus Christ! (miss you Sage)

We realized Sunday morning as we were leaving the hotel, we didn't have a group picture-we are missing a few.

another group shot after breakfast-unfortunately we are missing Suzanne

Saving the best for last-Tara Jane bought this at the Christmas show. You should have seen the looks she got as we were leaving... :0)

I am thankful for my wonderful friends for a great weekend. However, I am most thankful for my wonderful husband who took care of Caroline so that I could enjoy some time with my friends. I am a very blessed girl!